Queen Victoria and Hapsbuerg Family Tree: Unraveling the Mystery of Inbreeding and Facial Features

The Habsburg royal family, which ruled over Austria, Germany, and Spain for centuries, has long been associated with a unique facial structure known as the 'Habsburg jaw.' This distinctive feature, characterized by a sharply jutting jaw, bulbous lower lips, and a long nose, was not limited to just one or two individuals within the family. Instead, it seemed to be a recurring trait among many Habsburg monarchs.

But what caused this peculiar facial structure? A team of researchers led by geneticist Román Vilas from Spain's University of Santiago de Compostela set out to answer this question. They analyzed an extensive family tree spanning over 20 generations and found that the average inbreeding coefficient of the Habsburgs they studied was quite high.

Inbreeding, which occurs when individuals marry close relatives, can lead to a higher likelihood of certain genetic traits being passed down from one generation to the next. In the case of the Habsburgs, their family tree is indeed tangled, with many marriages between first and second cousins. This led to an increased chance of inbreeding, which may have contributed to the distinctive facial features observed among the royal family.

To quantify the extent of inbreeding among the Habsburgs, the researchers used a scoring system that took into account the occurrence of dysmorphic features such as mandibular prognathism (MP) and maxillary deficiency. They found that individuals with higher scores, indicating stronger occurrences of these features, were more likely to have a high inbreeding coefficient.

The research team also consulted with mouth and jaw surgeons who analyzed portraits of Habsburg monarchs and counted the number of abnormal facial features typical of MP and maxillary deficiency. This allowed them to quantify the extent of inbreeding among individual members of the royal family.

One notable example is Charles II, the 38-year-old king who died in 1700 with no immediate heir. His manifold health woes and infertility have been attributed by scholars to severe inbreeding.

The study's findings suggest that the 'Habsburg jaw' was most likely a result of inbreeding among the royal family. This raises interesting questions about the impact of inbreeding on facial features and overall health, as well as the long-term consequences of such practices for royal families throughout history.

In conclusion, the research highlights the complex relationships between genetics, inbreeding, and facial structure within the Habsburg royal family. While the study focused specifically on the Spanish Habsburgs, its findings have broader implications for our understanding of the effects of inbreeding on human physiology and appearance.

Queen victoria hapsbuerg family tree